After more than 20 years and several attempts, a scheme which aims to breathe new life into St Michael's Trading Estate in Bridport has finally been approved.

The scheme will see the demolition of some old industrial units, the refurbishment of others and a mixture of new housing – both new-build and conversions.

The site owner says the plans will regenerate the area and have the potential to bring up to 100 new jobs to the town, although the amount of industrial and commercial space will reduce overall.

Once completed, the development will result in 83 new homes, 48 of them houses and 35 apartments, although the number of affordable properties has been reduced from 22 to 14, on grounds of viability.

At the same Dorset Council planning meeting last week, a scheme for nine homes for the adjoining Lilliput Buildings, in the north east corner of the estate, was approved – a project which will also see changes to the building and an extension to create six small commercial units on the ground floor, five of them 280 square metres, or less.

Estate manager Martin Ridley said for years the re-development of the area had been a hot topic in and around Bridport, with conflicting views and opinions.

"But the one aspect that all agree is that St Michael's is not sustainable in its present form," he said.

"We believe the application will form a much-needed regeneration programme. The time is right to move forward."

Mr Ridley said the estate had 86 tenants and 37 co-occupants, with a dozen more due to sign up following the recent refurbishment of the Tower Building, which was damaged by fire in 2018.

He said most of those doing business on the estate were attracted by what he described as its "unique location, atmosphere and culture".

"What we have here is the classic and definitive mix of uses on a brownfield site which is an asset to the community," he said.

Proposals to develop the area date back to 2007 with two applications recommended for approval by the former West Dorset District Council in 2011 and 2017, but neither were ever finally signed off for a number of reasons, including the grade II listing of one of the key buildings.

Between the last application, submitted in 2017, and now, many of the buildings on the estate are said to have deteriorated with the river described by a planning officer as being "not in the best state" – all of which, it is claimed, will be improved by the redevelopment.

Dorset Council's Area Planning Committee members heard that the number of proposed affordable homes had been reduced from 22 in 2017 to 14 today – although the amount was considered by the district valuer to be double the number for economical viability.

To achieve the 14 affordable homes, the developers are proposing putting all of them into one block, the St Michael's Lane building, to help keep costs down, rather than the ideal situation of spreading the homes amongst the open market properties.

Proposing acceptance of the scheme, Cllr Nick Ireland said that although the compromise was not ideal, the council should take what was being offered, achieving seven more homes than might otherwise be the case.

The scheme will also involve repair to the flood wall immediately west of the Tower Building and the creation of a riverside walk with feature areas to be created, including one to be known as Cattle Market Square.

The St Michael's trading estate – map and aerial view (Google Earth)

Plan showing buildings to be demolished (in red).

Masterplan layout for the St Michael's site – map and sketch

St Michael's Lane elevations

Sketch of the Cattle Market Square area

Proposals for the Lilliput Building